NHL Player News

Backlund scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Monday's 7-4 win over the Sabres.

Backlund snapped an eight-game goal drought with his tally. During that span, he still managed four assists, eight shots and a plus-5 rating. The veteran center is up to five goals, 16 points, 62 shots on net and a plus-10 rating across 31 appearances. That's a level of production he's usually been able to attain in his career, though he fell short with 32 points in 76 outings in 2024-25.

Huberdeau scored a power-play goal on two shots and added two PIM in Monday's 7-4 win over the Sabres.

Huberdeau is picking up the pace again with two goals and an assist over his last four contests. The winger is up to six goals, 15 points (five on the power play), 42 shots on net and 29 PIM over 26 outings. Huberdeau remains in a top-line role and on the first power-play unit, but he's struggled to find consistency on offense and may be better approached as a streaming option in fantasy.

Matthews scored an empty-net goal on seven shots and blocked three shots in Monday's 2-0 win over the Lightning.

Matthews has three goals and three assists over his last six games. He's providing steady offense in a top-line role, though his scoring hasn't been as efficient this year, as he's at 12 goals, 20 points, 92 shots on net, 47 blocks and a plus-12 rating through 24 appearances. That's a 40-goal pace in a full campaign, but he's already missed five contests due to a lower-body injury in November, so the center will need to find a bit more offense to reach that level in 2025-26.

Kasper logged an assist and two PIM in Monday's 4-0 win over the Canucks.

Kasper's first helper of the season ended his 18-game point drought. The 21-year-old has gotten on the scoresheet in just three of 30 games so far, earning three goals and a helper, as well as 44 shots on net, 72 hits, 25 PIM and a minus-12 rating. He's slipped into a bottom-six role with minimal power-play time over the last few weeks, and he'll need to show significantly better consistency on offense to regain some ice time. Kasper showed his talent with a 19-goal, 37-point effort in 77 outings last year, but he's been hit hard by the sophomore slump.

Necas will be a game-time decision in Nashville on Tuesday due to an illness, according to Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

Necas was present at Bridgestone Arena for the morning skate Tuesday but departed early due to his ailment. The shifty winger has yet to miss a game this season. If he's unable to suit up against the Predators, Valeri Nichushkin will be an option to slide into a top-six role, while Gavin Brindley (lower body) could draw into the lineup. Necas has banked 14 goals, 39 points, 62 shots on net and a plus-28 rating over 29 appearances in 2025-26.

Copp scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Monday's 4-0 win over the Canucks.

Copp has scored in consecutive contests and has four points over his last three games. The 31-year-old is warming up in the second-line center role, a spot that's come with increasing ice time and power-play usage recently. He's at three goals, 13 points, 38 shots on net, 17 hits, 23 blocked shots and a minus-9 rating through 30 outings overall, but he could be worth a look in fantasy if he continues to trend up on offense.

Danielson scored a goal in Monday's 4-0 win over the Canucks.

Danielson had gone nine contests without a goal, earning three assists in that span. The 21-year-old center is up to two goals, six points, 23 shots on net and a minus-4 rating over his first 15 appearances. He's been limited to averaging 11:02 of ice time per game, but the rookie is also seeing power-play usage that could boost his offense over time.

Larkin scored an empty-net goal in Monday's 4-0 win over the Canucks.

Larkin's six-game point streak ended Saturday in Seattle, but he was able to get back on the scoresheet one game later. The 29-year-old has four goals and four assists over his last eight outings. On the year, he's up to 16 tallies, 32 points, 96 shots on net, 22 PIM and a plus-9 rating across 30 appearances.

Eriksson Ek scored a goal on six shots, added two assists and went plus-3 in Monday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.

Eriksson Ek opened the scoring at 1:18 of the second period and set up third-period tallies by Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko. This performance ended a five-game slump for Eriksson Ek, as well as a run of seven contests in which he was limited to one total assist. The center is up to five goals, 19 points, 90 shots on net, 52 hits, 12 PIM and a plus-1 rating through 30 outings overall.

Rempe (upper body) will travel with the team for Wednesday's game in Chicago and participate in the morning skate, Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reports Tuesday.

Rempe has missed 22 straight games, as he hasn't been in the lineup since getting injured against the Sharks on Oct. 23. It's unlikely he'll suit up for Wednesday's contest, but he seems to be trending in the right direction ahead of the Rangers' upcoming three-game homestand, which begins Saturday against Montreal.